Lineage of the Hero
by Alice B
Summary: The children of destiny make their first impression on the world. Treachery threatens Hyrule, and it is up to two little girls to lead their people to the light. WIP, original characters, kids!
1. The Quintessential Picture of Hylian Chi...

_Lineage of the Hero  
A Legend of Zelda Fanfiction  
by Beverly Alliss  
Email: beverly@faeriewings.net  
Website: faeriewings.net/fanfics_   
  


Chapter One: The Quintessential Picture of Hylian Children   
  


~ ~ ~

  
In the glimmering emptiness that was not, the Goddesses clasped hands. Between the three pairs of hands, the nothingness disappeared, replaced with earth, water, wind, light, darkness, and love. They created a world, filled it with flora and fauna, lit the brilliant day and the more subtle night. They formed people - seven races - and presented them this land. Each Goddess presented a gift to her creation, to the people of her creation: power, wisdom, and courage. These were the virtues to live by, all in balance. To remind the people, the Goddesses formed a triangle of each, all of gold, and placed them in a sacred land. Then the Goddesses withdrew to the heavens, and kept watch over their creation.   
"And that is how we came to be, Shimmer, Link."   
Lady Alorae smiled at her two children: the seven-year-old girl staring back at her mother with wide green eyes and the baby boy that looked more past his mother than at her, occupied with the tottery movement of an orange butterfly. Their outing to Hyrule Field had opened the opportunity for discussion, after some play and a picnic lunch. The bright sunlight warmed them, as they sat atop one of the gentle hills, a blanket spread over the soft grass.   
"Really, Mother?" the girl asked.   
"Yes, darling. All of the races: the Gerudo, the Gorons, the Zoras, the Kokiri, the Sheikah, the Faerie, and us, the Hylians. We are all the children of the Goddesses." The mother paused in her narration to reach for Link, who had apparently decided that the butterfly was more interesting than his mother's words (which for a three-year-old was probably true). The boy giggled quietly and settled in his mother's lap, eyes now on his sister sitting across from him, watching her chestnut hair floating in the wind.   
"So we get along with everybody!" Shimmer smiled, proud of her conclusion.   
Alorae smiled a little as well at her eldest child, though the gesture was touched with sadness. "No, Shimmer." Link, on his mother's lap, seemed more solemn, looking upward at her, quite still and contemplative for a baby. "Not everyone can get along. I believe when we started, we all did, but then someone wanted more of something, something that didn't belong to him or her. People became greedy, angry, and envious."   
The little girl's smiled faded. She looked over toward the woods, towards Lake Hylia, Kakariko Village and the mountains beyond, toward the Gerudo Valley and the desert beyond, her gaze finally returning to her home, Hyrule Castle Town. This beautiful, peaceful place that was Hyrule, her home, couldn't possibly hold any negativity.   
"Oh, Mother, that can't be," Shimmer spoke plaintively, looking back to her mother and baby brother.   
Alorae smiled gently. "You needn't worry, my darling. Hyrule has been a place of peace since before my grandfather's time." The mother reached out a slender hand to touch her daughter's cheek, making her smile. Link followed suit, leaning over and grasping his sister's face in both chubby hands, laughing gleefully.   
"Shimmer silly face!" the boy cried, giggling and poking her cheeks. Shimmer giggled and scooped up her brother, lifting him gently into her arms. They laughed together, half dancing across the thick, soft grass of Hyrule Field, the quintessential picture of Hylian children.   
Lady Alorae, smiling at her children as they played, turned at a gentle touch on her shoulder and rose to the arms of her husband. The Knight of the Royal Guard, still in full armor and sword sheathed at his side, put his arms about her carefully.   
"Hello, love." Sir Lucas said, kissing Alorae gently and running a gloved hand through her flaxen hair. "What a sight you've set for me here. I've never seen anything more beautiful: my wife and children, in high spirits and safe. It makes me glad, Alorae."   
"I as well. They are a sight of perfection, are they not?" Alorae turned back to her children, who were now sitting in the grass, building some small structure with blades of grass and needles from a nearby pine.   
"It was what I needed to see. Happiness." Lucas' voice was somber, more tired than usual.   
"The day was well for you?" Alorae paused, turning to gaze solemnly at her husband. "His Highness is well...?" Her questions were laced with worry and doubt, like a shadow over her voice.   
"I cannot lie to you, my love. His words grow stranger by the day. The Prince and Princess have left the castle and now reside in the summer mansion, in town." He sighed heavily. "My regiment of the guard will stay with them. They will need our protection, I fear. More and more shadows are seen wandering the halls of the castle at night. The Advisor is one of them, and some are saying the shadows are his. We... We have sealed the passages from the mansion to the castle. But I still fear for them, and indeed all of Hyrule. The King's words are not his own, and the Advisor never leaves his side.   
"Not only that, Alorae. All of the races are sniping at each other, like spoiled children. Especially the Hylians, the wicked things they do to each other. I've seen beggars in the alleyways, and there have never been such folk before. Something is changing in Hyrule…"   
Alorae said nothing, only turning back to gaze at her children, running freely: the little blonde boy and his brunette sister. Link was so quiet, Shimmer so thoughtful, and both of them so wise, for children. Her thoughts turned to them, to their strange ways. They were Hylian children, prone to extraordinary powers, both in childhood and even more so as they grew. But those powers were not to be simply glossed over as they manifested.   
Shimmer, with her vivid dreams, worried Alorae the most. It was her questions that had brought about the recitation of the creation story that afternoon, the same story handed down from parent to child from the beginning of time.   
Her too-specific queries on the races were unusual in their accuracy, for a child who had little personal contact with any of them, save her own. Indeed, there were more often than not Goron and Zora traders in the Marketplace, crying their own wares among the rest of the Hylian merchants. The Gerudo were not uncommon visitors and several had positions in the country as advisors. The Sheikah were active as protectors of the Royal Family. The royalty of each race was also present on occasion, in conferences and celebrations. The only race that had not been introduced to Shimmer's world were the Kokiri, the fey wood children who kept mostly to themselves and their Faerie kin. They especially did she ask of, and her mother had fewer and fewer answers for those questions.   
But even her visions could not dissolve all the childlike naiveté. She still could not comprehend the intricacies of society, adult relationships, war... She was still a child.   
And their son... Link was so patient, and very strong, for a mere babe of barely three. She wondered about his future.   
"We have been peaceful for so long, Alorae. It has been almost three hundred years since we last saw strife in this country. The beauty of peace has dulled in the eyes of those who see it every day. They become impatient, grasping. I believe..." The Knight's voice grew cold, almost... frightened? "I believe there will be war, my love. I am sorry."   
Alorae bowed her head, leaning back into the warm embrace of her beloved. "I foresee it as well. And... I believe Shimmer does also. Her dreams become more frequent, more vivid, and more volatile. She ask so many questions, and I cannot answer them any more."   
At that moment, the girl ran over, smiling broadly. "Mother, look! Does that look like a Kokiri house to you? Do you think one would like to move in?"   
Lady Alorae and Sir Lucas looked at each other, and in a moment the dark shadows and uncertain future were abandoned to laughter.   
  


~ ~ ~

  
"I wish I could see the village, Joia."   
"I wish I could take you there! But Mido would blow his top. Bossy Mido, never lets anyone do anything!" Joia grumped, folding her arms and frowning deeply.   
Shimmer blinked at the Kokiri girl. "It's like having a mother and father! They spoil the fun!"   
"Yeah, jeez!"   
Hylian and Kokiri sat pouting for a few moments, sitting cross-legged in the tall grass, stamped easily into a little nest around them. The Lost Woods hid their presence from all but Navi, the tiny faerie that lounged on one of the plaited coils tied into Joia's silvery hair.   
It was an unheard of meeting. Few had seen the Kokiri, these forest children who never grew up, who were accompanied by tiny faerie partners, who could navigate and tame the Lost Woods. They were an enigma in Hyrule, a single taste of untamed magic in their world.   
But Shimmer took no note of these, only enjoying the company of her best friend. Their first meeting so many months ago had been far more than accidental. It had been destined...   
  


~ ~ ~

  
The little girl rubbed the tears from her eyes. Crying would do no good now, Shimmer told herself, wide eyes blinking in the surrounding darkness. For once, she wished she'd listened to her mother, and not run off to play in the yard next to the Temple of Time. But she was curious, and the Temple made her feel so safe...   
The hole high above cast a beam of gentle light around her but did little to pierce the shadows of the rest of the cavern. Sighing dejectedly, she rose, looking about the place. It was grown wild with plants, oddly enough, and she could hear the quiet splash of water deeper in the darkness.   
She found no way to climb back out, as much as she tried to grasp the vines that clung tightly to one wall. She was simply not strong enough. Tears welled up in her eyes again, and the girl was about to sit and let them come this time when she heard a scraping at the far end of the cave.   
She clapped her hands over her mouth, biting back the tears and the cry of fear that threatened to give her away. That was successful, but she needed to hide. Her vision was still very poor in the dim light, but she managed to make out the pale outline of a gray Sheikah Stone off to her left. She scrambled quickly toward it, crouching down behind, head on her knees. She trembled, hearing the approach of whatever it was that had made the noise. It stopped just behind her, on the other side of the stone. She held her breath, sure this was the last moment. Oh, her mother and father, and little Link. Oh, Link...   
"Gossip Stone! What time is it?" Shimmer heard a shrill cry and felt someone hit the stone. Hit the stone? She barely had time to lift her head, eyes wide, before it bounced, flinging her away from it in a little summersault.   
"The current time is fifteen hundred hours," said a voice, neither male nor female, but strong and wise.   
The Hylian girl scrambled up, turning to see the strangest of sights: a little silver head with twin buns tied into her hair, surprised pixie face, and brilliant green eyes, eyes that outshone the green tunic by far, even in the dazzling green light of the tiny faerie that illuminated the figure.   
"Wow! I didn't know Gossip Stones gave out Hylians!" The fey child grinned, running over to Shimmer. "Hi! I'm Joia!"   
Shimmer blinked. And blinked again. "Um, hello. My name is Shimmer. I didn't come out of the Sheikah Stone."   
"The what? Oh, I get it. That!" Joia pointed at the stone, the carved eye gazing placidly on the two girls. "We call it a Gossip Stone! They talk, you know?"   
Shimmer smiled, shook her head. "No, I didn't know they spoke! How do you do that?"   
"Just hit it! Then it bounces!" Joia pulled the other girl over, giggling. "Just try it!"   
Shimmer giggled, giving the stone a little slap with her hand. It bounced like she'd struck it with a hammer. "The current time is fifteen hundred hours," said the voice.   
She laughed, eyes sparkling with mirth and hit it again, harder. Booooiiiiinnngg! "The current time is fifteen hundred hours."   
Joia was laughing too, and the little faerie was flitting between the two girls. Shimmer quieted first, looking over Joia. She'd never seen anyone dressed quite so, heard anyone speak like her. Her ears were pointed, like Shimmer's, the blessing to the Hylians from the Goddesses, but she was certainly not Hylian.   
"Joia," Shimmer started, and then paused to think. Perhaps she shouldn't ask. But some part of her knew, felt that this meeting was important and.. right.   
"Shimmer of the Hylians." Joia smiled, and the faerie lit on her shoulder, returning to a gentle silver glow. "We were meant to meet here. I am a Kokiri."   
"Truly?" Shimmer's eyes grew wide, and she stepped slowly up to the other girl. "I feel like this was meant to be. But why?"   
The Kokiri girl smiled, taking Shimmer's hands. Something moved between them, inside, like a light of gold. "We were meant to be best friends!"   
  


~ ~ ~

  
There was no question. Joia had proven to be the best friend Shimmer could have ever asked for. From that first time, when she used her ocarina to send Shimmer back to the doors of the Temple of Time, she knew. Joia knew so much about the woods, about the little underground places like the one Shimmer had fallen into, about the lost places of Hyrule.   
While their contact was not forbidden, it was virtually unheard of. Kokiri did not leave the forest. And anyone who entered the Lost Woods never came out again. Joia told Shimmer once that it was an accident, the first time she'd left, and had been so frightened of the death that was inevitable. But it never came, and she returned home with the secret of her discovery. Curiosity brought her out again and again, into the hidden places, where she learned about the world outside. She was the first of her kind to have traveled outside the forest.   
They met as often as they could, in that first place, and talked and played for hours, until the Sheikah Stone told Shimmer it was growing close to sunset, and she reluctantly returned home. Soon, Joia started taking Shimmer to the Lost Woods through her own secret ways, and the girls spent their time there, playing with the Deku Scrubs and navigating the tunnels.   
Today they stayed in the deep sylvan quiet of the Lost Woods, whispering their child's talk and girlish secrets.   
"My father came and saw us earlier today, when we had our picnic in Hyrule Field. He was still in his uniform and everything! We had to go home right away, though, after that. Something is happening in the castle," Shimmer said, nodding sagely.   
Joia nodded in return. "Yes, I think so too. I've had more visions. I see the Princess Zelda."   
"Me too! Except I've met her in person. The dreams are different."   
Joia smiled brightly, leaning forward. "You met her, really? Is she nice?"   
Shimmer giggled and nodded. "Yeah, she's nice. But she's little, you know? She's only four, not much older than my brother."   
"Really? In my vision, I saw her much older, with a young man, but he was wearing Kokiri clothes. I don't understand why an adult would be wearing Kokiri clothes. But anyway, you and I were watching them from behind a gold mirror," Joia explained, holding up her hands to demonstrate a mirror.   
Shimmer blinked. "That's not what I saw. I saw us all now, watching a puppet play at the Festival of Gathering. Oh yes! You are coming, aren't you?"   
Joia nodded enthusiastically, silvery head bobbing with the movement so that Navi was dislodged from her perch. The faerie trilled shortly in annoyance and retreated to a bellflower that drooped not far away.   
"Of course I will! But what else happened in the dream?" A shadow passed over her emerald eyes before she spoke again. "I have a feeling that it's important."   
"Oh, well, you and Zelda and I were all watching the puppets dance. Puppets of soldiers, and monsters, and even the King! There was lots of firelight and some of the magic lamplights with the blue flames. Then all the sudden, they went dark." Shimmer paused in her narration, looking rather nervous. "And then the Eye of Truth burned red on the puppet that was the King, and all his strings broke, and he fell down in a little pile on the ground, all burned up." She shuddered then, reaching up to wrap her arms around herself. "I was frightened. Do you know what it means, Joia?"   
Joia considered her friend's dream for a moment. "I am afraid for the King. The Sheikah Eye of Truth is important in Hyrule, to all the races. It's not used lightly, even in dreams. Only magic can call it up. Strong magic."   
"Yes. Strong magic," Shimmer murmured, looking skyward. "Sheikah magic..?"   
  


~ ~ ~

  
"He is a disgrace to the Sheikah!" Impa spat, crimson eyes narrowed at the castle. From her place at one of the great windows in the town mansion, she could see the figure of the Advisor standing on one of the balconies, robes billowing. "I cannot believe that he still wears the Eye of Truth! It is a sacrilege!"   
"Lady Impa, be calm! We all feel the same." Prince Alexander placed a hand on the shoulder of the tall woman.   
"But you are not Sheikah! He is an abomination!"   
"What's an abomin-thingie?" Princess Zelda, blue eyes wide, tugged impatiently on her nurse's hand. Alexander and Impa both chuckled lightly, and the young Prince swept up his daughter to one shoulder.   
"Something you'll learn about when you can speak the word, my daughter. But now you should be learning how to read that book." He pointed to the child's reader on the table. Zelda pouted prettily, folding her arms.   
Impa smiled quietly, offering her hand to the girl. The young Princess had such a way of calming the Sheikah woman, it was amazing. "Come, young Highness. The quicker you learn this reader, the quicker you move on to the next." Zelda nodded her acceptance, and Alexander set her on her feet again. The attendant and child moved away, and the Prince turned back to the castle.   
"We have happier things to think of now. The Festival of Gathering begins tomorrow..."   
  


~ ~ ~

  
_Yes, so here is the beginning! My my, visions and such! Ok, the halfway off-topic question. Did anyone notice that Agahnim, in LttP, wore the Sheikah Eye of Truth on his robes? Ahh, makes you think, doesn't it?   
  
So review, drop an email, sign the faeriewings.net dreambook, do as you see fit. Constructive criticism gladly accepted, but flames will likely be printed out and shredded for packing material (with kudos to Beans). Many thanks to my beta readers at the lozffml. Thanks, guys. ^^ _   



	2. The Festival of Gathering

_Lineage of the Hero  
A Legend of Zelda Fanfiction  
by Beverly Alliss  
Email: beverly@faeriewings.net  
Website: faeriewings.net/fanfics_   
  


Chapter Two: The Festival of Gathering   
  


~ ~ ~

  
Aghaard stood sullenly on the balcony of the highest tower, surveying the landscape of Hyrule. The country's highest leader was draped carelessly over a chair in the room behind him. The Sheikah wizard was the only person in the world allowed to be alone with the aging ruler, and that was well enough. If anyone saw them separated, they might realize that the King was dead.   
"Festival of Gathering indeed," he hissed. "It is time for a different sort of gathering."   
  


~ ~ ~

  
Hyrule Castle Town had never seen so much activity. It was the final afternoon of preparations for the Festival of Gathering, an autumn tradition in celebration of the taking in of the year's harvest and the preparation for winter. Long ago, it had begun simply as a assemblage of farmers and merchants each year in that area, selling their crops and produce. But with the passing of years and increase of population and harvest, the once-small meeting became a magnet for not only the necessities of winter, but for entertainment and enjoyment as well. When Hyrule Castle and its surrounding city were built, the yearly fair was ordained as the Festival of Gathering.   
This year would be remembered as one of the most grand. Ribbons and banners of gold and crimson had been hung between buildings, criss-crossing the market square and waving cheerily in the breeze. Wreaths of late-blooming flowers and golden grain stalks adorned the doors of many dwellings and businesses. The children of Hyrule Castle Town had a day free from lessons and ran shouting and singing through the streets. Every so often one of them would set off a barrage of firecrackers, likely purchased from one of the Goron merchants.   
Folk both common and noble, young and old, Hylian and otherwise wandered the Market, eager to see the wares being presented. Merchants had come from all corners of Hyrule, and even some from beyond, bearing the best of their harvests and local crafts. Nearing the end of the Festival, in three days, there would be contests decided on the best crops and produce, the most skilled weavings, the sweetest musicians, the tastiest food, the fastest runner, the sharpest marksman. There was a competition for nearly anything that could be seen, touched, heard, smelled, or tasted.   
The whole place was bustling and loud: the muted roar of people talking and singing, cries of merchants hawking their wares, sounds of pipes and drums as they played for the dancers and singers. Hyrule Castle Town had never been more alive, at least as far as Lady Alorae could remember, walking through the Market with Link in her arms and Shimmer in tow.   
"Mother, look!" the little girl gasped, pointing to a pair of young Gerudo girls, apparently twins, twining around each other in a exotic yet beautiful display of contortion. It was difficult to tell which limb belonged to which girl.   
Alorae smiled slightly. "I suppose they'd best be careful; they may get tied up in a knot, you think?" Shimmer giggled behind one hand and skittered to catch up with her mother.   
  


~ ~ ~

  
"Your Highness," Lady Alorae curtsied low to the Princess Lilliana as she entered the tent that had been set up for the folk in the Market to rest in.   
"Alorae, do stop that. Come here and give me a proper greeting, my friend." Lilliana rushed forward, arms outstretched to embrace the other woman. Alorae laughed brightly, returning the embrace.   
"I am sorry, Lillia, but I do it for your benefit. It is proper for others to see at least an appropriate address given. You are remiss, allowing others to greet you so informally."   
Lilliana laughed now too, shaking her head at the other woman. "You give too much advice, Alorae! And you are not sorry, either," the Princess teased, and Alorae bowed her head, though a smile was still on her lips.   
"Enough now, either way. Come, sit with me and talk a while, Alorae. Let the children go play; they deserve it. It is, after all, a holiday." Lilliana smiled at her young daughter, who was already peeking out at Shimmer from behind her mother's skirts, a doll in her hands and wide blue eyes fixed on the older girl. "Go on, Zelda, I'm sure Shimmer will be happy to play with you."   
"I am! And Link too! Come on!" Shimmer reached for Zelda's small hand as Alorae set Link on his feet.   
The boy giggled at the Princess and immediately reached for a lock of gold hair, holding the strands gingerly in one chubby hand. Zelda giggled too, patting the boy's sunny hair. For a moment the two went quiet, regarding each other with solemn eyes. Then they laughed again and followed Shimmer to the other side of the tent. Shimmer proceeded to make faces at her little brother and the young Princess through a mask she had put on. The two mothers smiled at their children and moved to a table nearby.   
"Zelda looks so much like you, Lillia. She's going to be stunning when she's older," Alorae commented.   
"Well, I thank you on Zelda's behalf. She is such a pretty child." Lilliana smiled, glancing at the four-year-old. "Takes after her father as well, though more in action. Stubborn as a mule, she is. That certainly comes from Alexander."   
Alorae laughed, shaking her head. "I understand, more than you know. Shimmer is the same." The woman paused a moment, a shadow passing over her delicate features as she gazed at her daughter. Lilliana reached out a slender hand, placing it upon her friend's arm. Alorae stirred, smiling faintly. "Shimmer dreams so strangely, of late," she said, quietly. "She had a nightmare two nights ago, sobbing and trembling in her sleep. It.. it took me so long to wake her, and when I did, she could remember nothing."   
Princess Lilliana did not speak for several long moments, and when she did, it was with a somber question. "Alorae, what have you dreamt of late?"   
"A misty darkness, tinged with red. I know my gift is very small, but I know too when a dream holds no goodness. Something dark comes."   
  


~ ~ ~

  
"Yes, and then the wolfos jumped right out of Redling's grandmother's bed and ate her all up!" Shimmer exclaimed, raking pretend claws in the air. Link and Zelda jumped and giggled, holding tight to each other.   
"And then what, Shimmer?" Zelda persisted, the blue eyes wider than usual and sparkling with wicked delight.   
Shimmer giggled, lowering her claws. "Well, then the young woodcutter came along and caught the wolfos, who was very fat now. So fat he couldn't move, with Redling and her grandmother both in his tummy." At this, she leaned forward and poked Link's tummy, making the boy shriek and cling tighter to the Princess, who giggled eagerly.   
"And then what?"   
"Then, the woodsman chopped the head clean off the wolfos with his big axe and Redling and her grandmother jumped right out of him, just the same as they were. They said thank you to the woodcutter, and all of them lived happily ever after. Well, except the wolfos of course, because he was dead."   
"Dead! Roar!" Link growled ferociously at Zelda, who promptly roared back, louder and lustier than the boy. Link paused for several moments, as if considering his chances, then laughed and reached for Shimmer. The elder girl pulled both children close to her and hugged them.   
"You are such good listeners! I will tell another one later, all right? But I want to go find my friend now." She kissed each of the children on the nose, making them giggle. "Both of you be very good. I'll be back soon."   
  


~ ~ ~

  
Shimmer slipped out of the tent and back into the milling crowds. For a moment, she was panicked. How could she possibly find Joia among all these people? There were so many, and moving so quickly…   
The girl blinked, looking skyward. They would find each other. They always found each other.   
With an excited grin and a cheery bounce now in her step, Shimmer set off across the Market, humming a little tune along with the pipes that lilted sweetly in the air. Sunset would be upon the Festival in another hour or so, but people had already lit their lamps and torches, adding to the atmosphere of the fair.   
Shimmer thought it logical to head in the direction of the Temple, since Joia would probably be coming from that way. The more she thought about it, the easier it seemed it would be to find the Kokiri girl. The bright green of traditional Kokiri dress wasn't that hard to spot, after all. Her logic proved to be correct, as she sighted the silver-haired girl creeping down the steps that lead to the courtyard.   
Joia looked rather nervous, eyes wide as she attempted to take in the sight of so many people - and Hylian adults, at that - in one place. Navi was out of sight, likely hidden in a pocket.   
"Joia! Oh, Joia! You made it!" Shimmer ran toward her friend, who brightened considerably at the other girl's call and waved in reply.   
"Shimmer!" Joia clasped the Hylian girl's hands as they met. "I've never seen so many people! Well, never so many Hylians, anyway." The Kokiri child giggled, shaking her head. "It's fun!"   
"It is fun! Come on! There's lots more to see!" Both girls giggled, and joining hands, disappeared into the crowd.   
  


~ ~ ~

  
The two girls wandered the Market freely, chattering and laughing. No one seemed to take much extra notice of Joia's peculiar attire, with the myriad variety of folk roaming about in their own colorful costumes. She may very well have been mistaken for just another Hylian child, set free from her studies and chores to enjoy the celebration.   
Shimmer pointed out the blue lamps as they were lit, one by one. The glowing spheres were lifted to hang from the cornerposts of buildings and banners that stretched across the Market, casting a mysterious and magical radiance over their wonder-filled faces.   
Full night had fallen now, and a few stars could be seen glittering in the night sky. Shimmer looked toward the resting tent, also glowing brightly.   
"Joia, we should go! Mother will be wondering where I've been."   
"Mother? Oh, yes, you have parents." Joia giggled, shaking her head. "I forget. I'm not used to that."   
Shimmer laughed too, grabbing the hand of her friend and pulling her toward the warm light of the tent. "It's okay. And you get to meet my little brother, Link. You'll like him; he's cute."   
"Okay! Let's-" Joia paused, looking to her left. One by one, and with growing speed, the lamps and torches were going out. They didn't sputter and die, but their light simply vanished, as if a blanket of shadow had been thrown over them. Even the stars were disappearing, whatever darkness it was that was snuffing their light coming from the north. People were starting to notice, and a worried murmur was beginning to mar the sound of music and laughter.   
"Joia! Hurry! Come on!" Shimmer tugged hard on the Kokiri girl's hand. Joia looked over, eyes fearful and luminous.   
"Your vision, Shimmer. The lights."   
Shimmer turned around, still holding tightly to Joia, and looked toward the castle. A figure stood on the highest balcony, robed arms raised high, clawlike hands glowing with a violent red light.   
And then they heard the first scream.   
  


~ ~ ~

  
  
_ A ha! Someone's crashing the party, I think. But I bet it's more complicated than that.. *woooo*   
  
Anyhow.. now you could review, drop an email, sign the faeriewings.net dreambook, do as you see fit. Constructive criticism gladly accepted, but flames will likely be printed out and shredded for packing material (with kudos to Beans). Many thanks to my beta readers at the lozffml. You guys are awesome! ^^ _   



End file.
